Has anyone achieved better?

[Lawrothegreat]

For a while I've suspected that the R56 MCS can achieve a rather low fuel consumption figure. Today I had to complete a 125 mile (200km) journey between Derbyshire and Berkshire in the UK. It was a mixture of 30mph and 40mph limited single carriageways (10%), motorway (approximately 60% of the journey), and dual carriage ways (hilly) (30%).

Where possible (70mph limits) I used cruise control to keep the car at an indicated 53mph (actual 50mph road speed) - I wouldn't go slower than this on a motorway. I accelerated as gently as I could away from junctions (makes a change), didn't have air conditioning switched on at all, windows were closed, and there were no passengers though the headlights were on.

The car has completed 18,000 miles and is being run on Shell V Power. At the end of the journey the car's on-board computer reported a staggering 57.1mpg average fuel consumption. Yes you have read right! At one point in the journey, and after 85 miles the average was over 58mpg (see the attached photo).

I suspect the onboard computer over reads by 2-3mpg (they usually do) but even so this is impressive for a stock MCS. As you can see in the photo the range was still nearly 500 miles after 85 miles! Has anyone achieved better over a distance?

[mister.t]

Heck you are a trier

I was in the Cooper the other day on a straight flat road, 4 up with the AC on, stuck it in 6th at 32mph with cruise on was reading 66mpg But thats not making any progress, so 58 out of an MCS is incredibly impressive

[supa-dupa-cooper]

Ooh, now im on a mission

Trouble is, I keep playing with that damn accelerator

[Lawrothegreat]

Normally I get around 34mpg. You really need to use cruise control to achieve the best fuel consumption. If you use the throttle manually even a 1-2mph increase in speed dramatically impacts your instantaneous consumption. Another trick you can use when on hilly dual carriageways is to stick the car in neutral when going downhill (I believe the car will use less fuel gathering speed going downhill in neutral than it would in gear with gentle acceleration), use this momentum for the first part of going up the next hill, and engage 6th gear and cruise control (at 53mph for me) just as you are about to go below 53mph.

I'm now on a mission to get the highest instantaneous fuel consumption. Is less than 5mpg achieveable? - perhaps uphill in 2nd/3rd gear full throttle?

[picard]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lawrothegreat (original)

Normally I get around 34mpg. You really need to use cruise control to achieve the best fuel consumption. If you use the throttle manually even a 1-2mph increase in speed dramatically impacts your instantaneous consumption. Another trick you can use when on hilly dual carriageways is to stick the car in neutral when going downhill (I believe the car will use less fuel gathering speed going downhill in neutral than it would in gear with gentle acceleration), use this momentum for the first part of going up the next hill, and engage 6th gear and cruise control (at 53mph for me) just as you are about to go below 53mph.

I'm now on a mission to get the highest instantaneous fuel consumption. Is less than 5mpg achieveable? - perhaps uphill in 2nd/3rd gear full throttle?

i heard going down hill its better to leave in gear foot off accelerator

had mine just in 50s after filling up and taking it really easy on motorway in slipstreaming a lorry but 58 is amazing

[Lawrothegreat]

Well as I said in an earlier post, I would imagine the on-board computer over reads slightly, so in reality the fuel consumption is in line with MINI's claims on the extra urban figure. Normally you wouldn't get close to a manufacturer's figure, but I believe I was probably driving the car more gently than the standard industry tests, and at a lower speed - 50mph against 56mph.

I couldn't drive the car that gently normally, over 120 miles I only overtook one vehicle - a 1930's bus. Impressive yes, but a Cooper D would do it whilst being pushed hard!

[cliveywolves]

cant believe the mpg is that good, have to see what our new cooper s does when we get it next month...

my wifes mini one auto has only avg 39.8 mpg since we had that about 6 months ago but you need to drive it really hard or it goes nowhere !!!

[Lawrothegreat]

You won't get over 50mpg that easily. Normally I get around 33 to 34mpg.

[mbk]

Is better more or less MPG though?

I managed an average of 19mpg over 100 miles on a wet trackday this weekend, and it was worth every last drop. 19mpg is the best I have ever seen from any car on a trackday so even more impressed with the little MCS.

Back to your question - 57.1 mpg is seriously impressive I have seen 41 a few times but doubt my patience would let me better that!

[stuvoi]

I am currently getting around 450 miles to the tank - not sure how many MPG that is.

When I start with a full tank I have managed to get the trip computer range to say as much as 570 miles, although 520 in more normal, but never manage to actually get that much, as soon as I come off motorway the economy decreases

stu

[scillyisles]

All BMW and Mini obc readings for mpg overread by quite a bit and on my Cooper D if I am really trying for maximum mpg then the variance between the OBC mpg reading and the actual mpg figure calculated from filling the tank is larger than it would be in normal driving.
In my last "maximumj" mpg run the obc said 64.2 whereas the actual mpg was 58.2.

[matfrost]

On my last tank the OBC said 45.0mpg (reset at fill up) and my calculated figure from filling up was 44.9mpg

[cliveywolves]

IMO i have found the BMW/MINI Mpg system pretty much bang on when i have worked out the mpg myself .....

[coupe-se]

Must say that the OBC mpg figure on my Cooper S is always within 0.5 of an mpg against calculated mpg. We are averaging 42mpg per tank which is pretty impressive for a hot-hatch!!

[Lawrothegreat]

I suspect mine does overread. But I need to test it.

My R50 used to overread by 2-3mpg.